The approval came on the heels of overwhelming regional support for the 42,000 square foot facility to be located on Route 13 in Carterville on 15 acres of wooded property just west of John A. Logan College.

“We are excited to move forward. From the beginning, this project has received substantial community support by way of the many letters sent to the Review Board on our behalf and fundraising support through our SIH Hope is Home campaign. We look forward to building the region’s first comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer center,” said SIH President and CEO Rex Budde.

The new center will bring all of our cancer care services—radiation, medical and surgical oncology, infusion therapy, cancer rehabilitation, clinical trials, specialty clinics and support groups—under one roof.

“This will improve quality and coordination of care, not to mention convenience for patients in the region who are at risk for or are fighting cancer,” said SIH Cancer Institute Administrative Director Jennifer Badiu.

“Of the 16 counties in our primary and secondary service areas, Franklin, Johnson and Alexander fall in the top 10 for cancer incidence rates in the state. With the exception of Jackson County, the majority of counties in deep southern Illinois have cancer rates that are higher than the state average,” Badiu said.

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3D mammography offers the Radiologist improved overall breast cancer detection by 27% as well as a 40% increase in the detection of invasive breast cancers. 3D mammography also has demonstrated a 15% decrease in false positive rates, especially in women with dense breast tissue thus giving patients more peace of mind and reduced anxiety.

While not every woman needs to have 3D mammography, it has been found to be effective in women with dense breast tissue— which can be more difficult to image with conventional digital mammography.

Tomosynthesis provides a 3D mammogram that, when used in conjunction with standard digital mammography, enables radiologists to view breast tissue in a way never before possible!

Watch the Latest in Mammography Technology

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Now you can breathe easier knowing that our new 3T MRI has a more spacious opening and a shorter magnet design—creating a more comfortable imaging experience for you!

Power of 3T MRI:

• Increased comfort for you
• Strongest clinical magnet available
• Sharper, clearer images for a more confident diagnosis

In the past, MRI exams have not always been comfortable for patients—particularly those who experience claustrophobia, excessive pain or limited mobility. But now, our new 3T MRI has a larger open bore and a shorter length to help reduce patient anxiety and put you more at ease.

MRI has become one of the fastest growing types of medical diagnostic tests in the United States, due in large part to its ability to provide non-invasive, high-resolution images of soft tissues, bone, fat and muscles and to help in the detection and diagnosis of a variety of health conditions— including orthopedic injuries, breast cancer, neurological disorders and cardiac diseases. MRI works by detecting the water in your body using gentle radiowaves and magnetic pulses—without the need for X-rays or other ionizing radiation.

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On Friday, April 12, 2013, more than 650 of you came together to attend the SIH Foundation Dinner Gala. It was a remarkable event that ended up entertaining, inspiring and spurring guests towards positive action.

Decked out in formal cocktail attire, gala attendees dazzled the eye as they made a grand entrance at the SIUC Student Center Ballrooms. The evening commenced with a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and live music by King Juba.

As guests started dining formally, master of ceremonies, Steve Falat introduced Rex Budde, SIH CEO and president. Budde said he was excited to see this level of support in the community. In a moving speech, he talked about his family’s personal battles with cancer and the devastating impact of watching people he cared for deeply, suffer and die.

“We have to do better. We must do better. And we can do better,” he said stressing the need for a comprehensive facility dedicated to providing high quality, cancer-related services in the region.

Budde was followed by Marsha Ryan, M.D., SIH Foundation chair, co-founder of The Breast Center and cancer survivor herself. Ryan thanked all major donors including physicians, staff, board members and volunteers.

It was then time for the live auction.

“We have come here to raise money, not to get a bargain,” announced professional auctioneer, Jessica Doerr-Berger of Doerr Auction Services, before throwing the floor open to bids.

If you’re curious, here’s what each item sold for:
1. Custom designed, pre-engineered outdoor fireplace: $3,700
2. Riviera Maya, Mexico – Mayan Palace Resort beach vacation: $2,900
3. Custom crafted luxurious granite countertop: $3,200
4. Original artwork by Najjar Abdul-Musawwir: $1,000
5. Edisto Island beach vacation: $6,000

Total live auction amount raised for the Hope is Home campaign: $16,800

A video testimonial specially made for the dinner gala, struck a chord with viewers, stressing the urgent need for comprehensive, quality, cancer care close to home.

Then it was time for Jennifer Badiu, administrative director of the SIH Cancer Institute to introduce the star of the evening: keynote speaker, recent cancer survivor and radio show host, Lia Mira-Lerner.

In an emotional speech, Mira-Lerner talked about finding her courage in the midst of going for cancer treatments. With two young children who only wanted to know why she had cancer; Mira-Lerner came up with a creative answer, “Its so other parents can use me as an example.”

She counted herself lucky to have breast cancer because she had The Breast Center located ten minutes from her home. Otherwise, she said, she would have had to drive hours to and fro for every treatment.

Cancer is personal, she said. It affects every one of us. And it was apparent just how many lives cancer has touched, when more than two dozen cancer survivors in the audience stood up.

Dinner guests were then encouraged to pledge dollars in support of the new cancer center.

The evening concluded with a fun after-party featuring drinks, desserts and dancing to live music.

To date from the event, beyond the $80,000 we have raised an additional $172,000 in pledges and gifts for the Hope Is Home Campaign with more in progress.

None of this would have been possible without you. So thank you, Southern Illinois! Together we will build a dedicated cancer facility for our families, friends and neighbors. Together we have the power to change lives.

The post The power of community – Stories from the SIH Foundation Dinner Gala appeared first on Southern Illinois Healthcare.

Early detection of these cancers increases the chances for cure. That’s why the SIH Cancer Institute is teaming up with ear, nose and throat specialists to offer free screenings for oral, head and neck cancers on Friday, April 19, at Center for Medical Arts in Carbondale.

“Free oral and throat cancer screening programs are meant to identify patients at risk so that appropriate diagnostic tests can be done and treatment initiated as soon as possible. By promoting awareness and reaching out to the community, the Ear, Nose and Throat providers at SIH continue to actively participate in the fight against cancer,” said David Hohuan, M.D., an otolaryngologist and member of the SIH Cancer Institute’s head and neck cancer care team.

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The CHNA was conducted as part of the Southern Illinois Healthcare’s Community Benefits planning process to identify the most important health issues in our area. We want to make sure that the programs and services we offer match the needs of members in our communities.
After looking at all of the data that was available on a local, state and national level, teams of SIH employees and community members ranked and established what community needs we would address.

The needs were divided into five topic areas:

• High Impact Clinical and Preventative Services
• Access to Care
• Quality and Effectiveness of Care
• Behavioral Risk Factors
• Cancer Disparities

We have many programs and initiatives going on inside the hospital walls and in the community to affect these areas. We will continually be looking at what additional opportunities are available to focus on these needs and look at available data to note if these needs are changing.

It is our hope that you will find this CHNA useful and that it is a sneak peek inside the work Southern Illinois Healthcare is doing to benefit the members of our communities. If you have any questions, please contact Diane Land, SIH Community Benefits, at (618) 457-5200 ext. 67834.

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Nabil Al-Sharif, M.D. & Congestive Heart Failure

More about Nabil Al-Sharif, M.D.

Herrin Hospital Home to Cardiac Center

On February 25, 2013 a new Cardiac Management Center located at Herrin Hospital will be fully operational, and will feature a staff of providers including mid-level providers and specialty nurses who will follow up with recently-discharged CHF patients to answer questions, provide follow-up support and encouragement.

Prairie Cardiologist Dr. Nabil Al Sharif says that treatments for congestive heart failure nationwide total nearly $40 billion each year. He adds that 500,000 new heart failures will be diagnosed this year. Even in southern Illinois, the problem is significant. More than 2,500 patients were treated at Southern Illinois Healthcare facilities for heart failure in the last 11 months. Many of those patients made repeated visits to area hospitals.

Reducing Readmission Rates

“There are high readmission rates for CHF and we’re trying to prevent that,” Vicki Miller RN, who coordinates the Cardiac Management Center, says. “We’re working on the inpatient side to make sure we’re giving optimum care to our chest pain patients and then this new program will touch on all of the areas that tend to bring them back to the hospital.”

“This will be care after the care,” Miller explains. “It’s like a safety net dedicated to a population who we have found really needs some extra attention.”

Supporting Congestive Heart Failure Patients

“We’ll go over records, review their dietary and fluid restrictions with them and check on their medications,” Miller says. “We’ll look at their medication list to see if they understand and even if they were able to get their prescriptions filled. It’s all designed to keep them out of the hospital.”
Miller says the programs will involve family members and other support people, as well. For Al Sharif, the follow-up will be key to successful treatment of CHF.

Al Sharif says traditionally, 27 to 30 percent of CHF patients are readmitted to the hospital within a month. He hopes the efforts of the Cardiac Management Center will drastically reduce that number across all SIH hospitals.

The center will be staffed by nurses and mid-level providers who will work with recently discharged CHF patients to make sure they are following prescribed protocols and getting both the medications and follow-up appointments necessary.

“We believe that by educating these patients and having follow-up with them, we can reduce readmissions by 50 percent,” Al Sharif says.

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Doctors with Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants, using the catheterization laboratory at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, are repairing patent foramen ovales and atrial septal defects—the two conditions commonly known as a hole in the heart—with a procedure known as a percutaneous, or under the skin, closure. The process, in which surgeons insert a sheath into a vein in the patient’s groin to place the repair device in the heart, takes about 30 minutes. The device plugs the hole and lets patients return to their normal routine in about a day, minus most of the problems originally caused by the defect.

Interventional Cardiologist Prasanna Kumar, M.D.

More about Prasanna Kumar, M.D.

Getting Back to Normal–Fast

Unlike traditional open-heart surgery, recovery time for placement of the “patch” is minimal.

“Patients can get up after a few hours of bed rest and they’re back to their normal routine the next day,” Interventional Cardiologist Prasanna Kumar of Prairie Cardiovascular in Carbondale explains. “It is a very, very quick recovery time.”

A Condition that Often Goes Unnoticed

Kumar says that holes in the heart are very common—as many as one in four people have them—but the condition often goes unnoticed.

“If it doesn’t bother anyone, we don’t do anything, and often we don’t look for it unless a patient is having trouble,” Kumar explains. However, after patients complain of persistent migraine headaches or if they suffer otherwise unexplained strokes, cardiologists and neurologists often suspect the condition. “Especially when young people have strokes—what we call cryptogenic strokes—that don’t have a clear explanation as to what caused them, we begin to look for these sorts of causes,” Kumar says.

Advanced Heart Care Close to Home

While blood thinners and other medicines can be used to treat the condition, he says studies show the best option is to close the hole, something that can be successfully accomplished quickly and close to home.

“People no longer have to travel far for this kind of advanced care,” he says. “They can have great outcomes right here,” Kumar says.

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Memorial is the only Illinois health care facility south of Interstate 64 using the Impella 2.5 cardiac assist device, informally known as the world’s smallest heart pump. Despite its tiny size, the pump is making a big difference in heart procedures for the area’s heart patients.

“In medical language we call it a hemodynamic support device,” explains Interventional Cardiologist Raed Al-Dallow of Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants in Carbondale. “What it is a small pump that helps the heart during the short periods of time where we need to support the patient’s heart’s ability to function.”

What makes this particular device different is its size—about as big as the little ball in a ball point pen—and the variety of procedures in which it can be used.

Using the Impella Heart Pump

More about Raed Al-Dallow, M.D.

“It can be a bridge to recovery, a bridge to a surgical procedure or a supportive device during a complex procedure,” Al-Dallow says.

For example, he says most often the pump is used when cardiologists are placing a cardiac stent. In these cases, the pump, encased in a long catheter, is temporarily inserted through an artery in the patient’s groin and guided to the aortic valve, where the pump temporarily takes over the heart’s job.

“While you place stents there are a few seconds where you stop the blood flow in the coronary arteries and if you don’t have this pump, then during that time the heart could be in trouble, but with it, we can perform the procedure safely.”

Saving Lives & Avoiding Open Heart Surgery

The doctor says the pump also can be a life-saver following major heart problems. He says the pump can be quickly placed in a patient’s heart in as little as five minutes and will efficiently pump while preparations for cardiac surgery take place.

Al-Dallow says the use of the world’s smallest heart pump has been a great addition to cardiac care at SIH. “Our ability to safely do complex treatments and potentially avoid open heart surgery is greater now,” he says. “This device has added another degree of success to our heart program.”

Prairie Heart Institute Southern Illinois Healthcare

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At present, visitation is restricted to individuals ages 18 and older. Additionally, each patient is limited to two visitors at a time.

Friends and loved ones with flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, stuffy nose, sore throat and/or body aches, are asked to refrain from visiting. For additional help in keeping our patients safe, masks and hand sanitizer are available at the many respiratory etiquette stations positioned at the entries of each hospital.

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